Google Phone reports continue; Apple rejects Motorola Droid app

Another report claims that a Google-branded phone will arrive soon, and an application that served as a promotional tool for the Motorola Droid was rejected by Apple for distribution in the iPhone App Store.

Google phone "a certainty"

Citing a "trusted source," Gizmodo reported Monday that a Google phone running a new, different version of its Android mobile operating system is still in the works. Prototypes of the device are expected to arrive on the company's campus "over the next few weeks."

The source said that the new version of Android will run on handsets with large screens, and it was spotted on a laptop in addition to phones. In addition, it was reported that the current Android is not the "real" Android.

"So what makes for a "real" version of Android?" the report said. "Our best guess is an Android OS with Google Voice at its heart."

Weeks ago, the rumored "Google Phone" was said to be coming in 2010. The custom-built hardware will allegedly allow the company to control all facets of the hardware, much like with Apple and the iPhone.

iDroid rejected

The "iDroid" application was a free downloadable advertisement for the Droid, an Android-powered handset that aims to compete with Apple's iPhone. It was created by Swavv Apps, the developer behind iPhone applications "Beer Pong Pro" and "Spin the Bottle Pro."

According to TechCrunch, Apple rejected the software from the App Store because it is an advertisement for a competing product.

"All it did was display the glowing red Droid eye," the report said of the iDroid application. "If you tapped on the eye, it then showed some marketing bullet points about the competing phone such as the fact that it can run simultaneous apps and has a slide-out keyboard (something the iPhone lacks). The second page also shows a picture of the Droid with its keyboard out."

The Motorola Droid has been positioned as an iPhone competitor by its manufacturer as well as its wireless carrier, Verizon. The handset was introduced in early November to positive reviews.